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Biomedical subjects

H Tamai

Publications and source records attributed to H Tamai.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Association between the DRB1*08032 histocompatibility antigen and methimazole-induced agranulocytosis in Japanese patients with Graves disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between HLA class II genes and methimazole-induced agranulocytosis in patients with Graves disease. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Kuma Hospital, which specializes in thyroid diseases, in Kobe, Japan. SUBJECTS: 24 patients with Graves disease who had methimazole-induced agranulocytosis diagnosed by peripheral granulocyte counts of less than 0.5 x 10(9)/L, and 68 patients with Graves disease treated with methimazole, who were free from agranulocytosis. Controls were 525 healthy, unrelated Japanese student volunteers at Kyushu University in Japan. MEASUREMENTS: All HLA class II genes were analyzed for polymorphisms at the DNA level by using the polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes method. The allele frequencies in the agranulocytotic Graves disease group were compared with those in the nonagranulocytotic Graves disease and control groups. RESULTS: A strong positive association was seen in DRB1*08032 between the agranulocytotic group and both the control and nonagranulocytotic Graves disease groups. CONCLUSION: The HLA DRB1*08032 allele was strongly associated with susceptibility to methimazole-induced agranulocytosis, suggesting that cellular autoimmunity may be involved in its development.

Agranulocytosis↗
PubMed1996

Effect of physical activity as a caddie on ultrasound measurements of the Os calcis: a cross-sectional comparison.

This cross-sectional study investigated the effect of long-term activity as a caddie on ultrasonic properties of the os calcis. We measured 74 healthy women, age 20-59 years, who worked at a golf course as caddies. An age-matched control group of 433 healthy women, who were office workers or housewives, also were recruited for comparison. The ultrasound measurements were performed with an Achilles ultrasound densitometer. The quadriceps muscle strength and the hand grip strength were measured in a perimenopausal subgroup (45-59 years) of the caddies and a subgroup of controls matched for age, height, weight, and body mass index. Urinary pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline were also measured in these perimenopausal subgroups. Caddies had significantly higher ultrasound values than controls in the 40-49 (stiffness index, 101.6 +/- 12.9% versus 87.9 +/- 11.9%; p < 0.0001) and 50-59 (stiffness index, 90.5 +/- 11.6% versus 77.2 +/- 11.6%; p < 0.0001) age-stratified groups. Quadriceps strength and grip strength were significantly higher in caddies than those in controls. In postmenopausal caddies, all ultrasound values were significantly higher than for controls. In caddies there were not significant decreases of any ultrasound values with postmenopausal age. Even for the subgroup within 3 years of menopause there were significant differences between caddies and controls (p < 0.01). There were no significant increases of pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline after menopause in the caddies. We demonstrated that the caddies had higher ultrasound properties of the os calcis and lower bone resorption after menopause compared with controls.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

HALF-1, a bZIP-type protein, interacting with the wheat transcription factor HBP-1a contains a novel transcriptional activation domain.

BACKGROUND: Nuclear factors bind to cis-acting elements and mediate transcriptional regulation through protein-protein interactions with other factors. The bZIP-type wheat nuclear protein HBP-1a(17) is a putative transcriptional activator specifically binding to the Hex (ccACGTCA) and G-box (CCACGTGG) motifs, which are often found in the cis-acting elements critical for various responses in plants. RESULTS: In order to investigate the mechanisms for gene expression mediated via the Hex and G-box motifs, we attempted to isolate proteins interacting with HBP-1a(17) based on protein-protein interactions. A cDNA expression library from wheat seedlings was screened with 32P-labelled HBP-1a(17), and a bZIP-type protein, termed HALF-1 (HBP-1-associated leucine-zipper factor-1), was isolated. GST-pulldown assay, yeast two-hybrid system and EMSA showed that HALF-1 and HBP-1a(17) interact with each other through their leucine-zipper regions. Dissection experiments showed that HALF-1 has at least one potential trans-activation domain which includes a nine amino acid motif conserved between several plant bZIP-type proteins. This motif, named GCB (GBF-conserved box; consensus, NLNIGMDXW), activated the expression of a reporter gene, when fused to the GAL4 DNA-binding domain. The corresponding region of Arabidopsis GBF1 also stimulated transcription. However, the trans-activation domain of HALF-1 did not function in yeast. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a novel trans-activation domain which contains the GCB motif conserved among plant bZIP-type factors. The trans-activation appears to be mediated by interaction between the GCB motif and a factor conserved in plants.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Haemodynamic effects of differing blood transfusion rates in infants less than 1500 g.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the haemodynamic effects of the standard 2-3 h blood transfusion increases the risk for intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in very low birthweight infants. METHODOLOGY: In a randomized controlled study, haemodynamic changes using slow and rapid transfusion were compared. Twenty-seven very low birthweight infants were divided between 12h (n = 14) and 3h (n = 13) transfusion groups. Blood pressure, ejection fraction (EF), anterior cerebral artery pulsatility index (PI), blood gases, serum electrolytes and haematocrit were measured pre- and post-transfusion. Infectious status was also monitored. RESULTS: Blood pressure (48.1/25.5 vs 55.7/30.2 mmHg) and EF (0.68 vs 0.73) increased significantly during rapid transfusion (P<0.01) but remained stable with slow transfusion. Serum potassium, base excess and incidence of infection did not increase in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Slow transfusion causes less haemodynamic disturbance than rapid transfusion, thereby preventing the potential risk for IVH and PDA.

Blood Transfusion↗
PubMed1996

Follow-up study of auditory brainstem responses in hyperbilirubinemic newborns treated with exchange transfusion.

Changes in auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were studied and followed in hyperbilirubinemic newborns before and after exchange transfusion (ET), in order to check their usefulness in the early detection of acute and chronic bilirubin encephalopathy. ABR were measured in 10 newborns with marked hyperbilirubinemia (total bilirubin concentration [TBC] > or = 20 mg/dL, direct bilirubin concentration < 2 mg/dL) before and after ET. The means of birthweight, gestational age, and day of life on admission were 3267 g, 38.2 weeks and 3.4 days, respectively. The ABR measurements were performed before ET and 6.0 days (the mean) after the ET. The follow-up of ABR was performed at 3 months of life. In comparison with the control values, the mean latencies of ABR were significantly prolonged (I, I-III, and I-V: P < 0.05) and the mean amplitudes were significantly decreased (I, III and V: P < 0.001) before ET. Significant improvement of ABR was noticed after the ET, especially in the shortening of the latency of wave I (P < 0.02) and in increasing the amplitudes of wave III and V (P < 0.02 and (P < 0.01, respectively), though the recovery of the latency of I-V (P < 0.02) and the amplitudes of I, III and V wave (P < 0.001, P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively) were delayed in comparison to the control. The follow-up data of ABR showed that, in two of nine infants (one was lost from the follow-up), there were still abnormal findings at 3 months of age. Only one of these, who prolonged the recovery of ABR until 5 years of age, developed a border intelligence. Though ET is effective for improvement of acute bilirubin encephalopathy with impaired ABR, a complete recovery of the ABR might be delayed in marked hyperbilirubinemia. The delay in improvement of ABR abnormalities might be possibly used as an early predictor for following chronic bilirubin encephalopathy.

Brain Damage, Chronic↗
PubMed1996

New evidence for the involvement of oxygen radicals in triggering neonatal chronic lung disease.

We measured the plasma concentration of allantoin, an oxidation product of uric acid and an "in vivo" marker of free radical generation, within 24-48 h after birth in 10 premature infants who subsequently developed chronic lung disease (CLD) and 9 infants without CLD (non-CLD). The plasma allantoin level (mean +/- SD, 25.9 +/- 9.8 microM for CLD versus 11.0 +/- 5.7 microM for non-CLD, p < 0.01) and the allantoin/urate ratio (5.8 +/- 2.0% for CLD infants versus 2.4 +/- 0.9% for non-CLD infants, p < 0.01) were significantly higher in the CLD group than those in the non-CLD group. These observations suggest the possible involvement of oxygen radicals in triggering CLD. In addition, the plasma allantoin concentration and the allantoin/urate ratio may be useful early predictors of the development of CLD.

Allantoin↗
PubMed1996

Age-related changes of alpha-tocopherol transfer protein expression in rat liver.

Developmental changes in expression of alpha-tocopherol transfer protein (alpha-TTP) after birth were investigated using rats with respect to plasma changes of tocopherols. The expression of alpha-TTP in the neonatal rat liver, which was very low immediately after birth, increased steadily during the two weeks of life before weanling and reached the adult level at four weeks. During the suckling period, the plasma ratio of alpha-tocopherol to gamma-tocopherol linearly increased, because plasma alpha-tocopherol which was low immediately after birth, increased rapidly during the period, while gamma-tocopherol remained unchanged. The increase in the ratio seemed to correlate with the developmental expression of alpha-TTP in the liver during this period. The ratio also reached the adult level after four weeks. The expression of alpha-TTP was investigated using primary cultured rat hepatocytes. The expression of alpha-TTP was found to be extremely low after 20h of culture. The decrease in alpha-TTP expression was exacerbated by adding epidermal growth factor to the culture medium and was inhibited by adding dexamethasone. These observations suggest that expression of alpha-TTP may be affected by the state of hepatic differentiation.

Aging↗
PubMed1996

[A case of pulmonary dirofilariasis diagnosed through thoracoscopic lung biopsy].

A fifty-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of an abnormal shadow in a routine chest X-ray film. Thorax CT scan revealed a relatively well defined nodule with a diameter 15 mm and pleural thickness in the posterior segment of the right lower lobe. A diagnosis by broncoscopy was undefinite and suspected to be a lung cancer. So thoracoscopic lung biopsy was performed to remove it. In a cross section of the resected nodule two degenerated worm structures were revealed and we diagnosed pulmonary dirofilariasis. Pulmonary dirofilariasis has been an increasing reported disease. Most of cases revealed a peripheral lung lesion. Thoracoscopic lung resection was useful for the diagnosis, considering as minimally invasive examination.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

[Usefulness of NODSS (nasal/oral discriminate sampling system) in end-tidal carbon dioxide gas monitoring].

We investigated the usefulness of nasal/oral discriminate sampling system (NODSS) that had been developed recently in order to obtain the accurate end-tidal carbon dioxide (PET(CO2)) from a spontaneously breathing patient through a nomal airway. Fifty patients were monitored using a capnograph with NODSS following extubation in the postanesthesia unit. PET(CO2) data were collected by means of nasal, oral or nasal/oral sampling. The levels of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) were determined simultaneously. In addition to examining the correlation between PET(CO2) and PaCO2, we investigated the influence of method of anesthesia, age and respiratory rate on the (PaCO2 - PET(CO2)) gradient. In most patients without nasal obstruction breathing through the nostril, PET(CO2) determined by selective nasal sampling was closer to PaCO2 than those by oral or nasal/oral sampling. Furthermore, the mean (PaCO2 - PET(CO2)) gradient was 4.98 mmHg in patients aged over 60, while it was 2.02 mmHg in patients aged under 60, suggesting that PET(CO2) could not be a good index in elderly people. There was no significant difference in the mean (PaCO2 - PET(CO2)) gradient among different methods of anesthesia. In conclusion, NODSS was useful in determining PET(CO2) more accurately and estimating PaCO2 precisely when used in relatively young people by selective nasal or oral sampling.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Fat-soluble vitamins in cord blood and colostrum in the south of China.

Certain diseases have been associated with micronutrient deficiencies in China, and nutritional assessments have become important means of preventing such diseases. In the present study, fat-soluble vitamins including vitamins A, D, E, K, and beta-carotene in the cord blood and colostrum of Chinese subjects in Guilin, China, were assayed and compared with those of Japanese subjects in Osaka, Japan. These vitamins were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Vitamin A and E levels in the cord blood and colostrum of the Chinese group showed almost the same values as those of the Japanese group. There was also no significant difference in vitamin D level in cord blood between the two groups, while significantly lower levels of beta-carotene and cryptoxanthin, and a higher level of PIVKA-II (protein induced in vitamin K absence) in cord blood were observed in the Chinese group. These findings pointed to a restricted intake of green-yellow vegetables in the Chinese group and an increased risk of hemorrhagic disease in newborn of that group is suggested.

China↗
PubMed1996

Chronic ethanol consumption enhances endotoxin induced hepatic sinusoidal leukocyte adhesion.

In alcoholic liver disease, endotoxin has been postulated to play an important role in its pathogenesis. Endotoxin is known to lead to impediment of hepatic microcirculation, including the adhesion of leukocytes to sinusoidal endothelial cells. In this study, the effect of chronic ethanol consumption on the leukocyte adhesion elicited by endotoxin was examined. Male Wistar rats were pair-fed with a liquid diet containing ethanol or an isocaloric control diet for 6 weeks. The liver of anesthetized rats were placed on the nonfluorescent cover-glass for observation by an intravital inverted microscope equipped with a silicon intensified target camera. The red blood cell (RBC) velocity in hepatic sinusoids was measured by an off-line temporal correlation velocimeter (Capiflow, Sweden) after intravenous injection of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled rat RBC. RBC velocity in sinusoids was more severely disturbed in ethanol fed rats than in controls. Leukocytes were stained by the intravenous injection of carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester for a fluorographic observation of leukocyte adhesion. After lipopolysaccharide injection, the number of adherent leukocytes was significantly greater in ethanol-fed rats than in controls. Plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels were also higher in ethanol-fed rats than in controls. These results suggest that chronic ethanol consumption aggravates endotoxin induced leukocytes adhesion that may result in hepatic microcirculatory disturbances. Leukocyte adhesion to the sinusoidal wall may be associated with increased in tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Implications of the severity of retinopathy of prematurity on childhood development.

This study investigated the severity of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and its relationship to childhood development. The subjects were 21 children with a birthweight of 2500 g or less who were tested for flash visual evoked potential (FVEP) at conceptual ages ranging from 1 to 3 years. We also examined 73 children with a birthweight of 1500 g or less, using the Developmental Quotient (DQ) test, at 2 1/2 years of age. Twenty-five of this group were given an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) test at 6 to 7 years of age. The P100 latency of FVEP in the severe ROP group was significantly longer than that of the mild ROP group (P < 0.05). The main DQ in the severe ROP group was 99.1 +/- 17.9, significantly lower than the 108.7 +/- 15.5 of the mild ROP group (P < 0.05). No significant IQ differences were found between the two groups. The proportion of children with verbal-performance IQ discrepancies was, however, significantly greater in the severe ROP group than in the mild ROP group (P < 0.05). Since infants with severe ROP are more likely to suffer developmental disorders, long-term follow-up is absolutely necessary and must be done in cooperation with pediatricians.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1995

9-cis beta-carotene in human plasma and blood cells after ingestion of beta-carotene.

For 44 wk, thirty male volunteers were given daily either 60 mg of synthesized all-trans beta-carotene, a naturally-occurring beta-carotene derived from Dunaliella bardawil, or a placebo. Basal levels of 9-cis beta-carotene in plasma, platelets, and mononuclear cells were 10, 20, and 25% of those of the all-trans form, respectively. The plasma levels reached a maximum after two weeks of administration and plateaued thereafter in the subjects who took the beta-carotene preparations. The all-trans beta-carotene level in the subjects given the synthesized all-trans form was almost twice that for the Dunaliella preparation. The plasma 9-cis level was found to be higher in the all-trans beta-carotene group than in the Dunaliella group, despite no intake of the 9-cis form in the all-trans group and the higher intake of the 9-cis form in the Dunaliella group. This finding suggests that isomerization of the all-trans form to the 9-cis form may occur in the body either during or after absorption.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Beneficial effect of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate on mitochondrial function during ischemia-reperfusion of rat liver.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several groups have reported that administration of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) reduces ischemic injury. The aim of this study was to determine the protective effect of FBP on the impairment of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation by ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rat liver. METHODS: The respiratory control ratio (RCR) and the adenine nucleotide content of mitochondria isolated from ischemic and reperfused livers with or without FBP treatment were measured. RESULTS: In FBP-treated livers, the cellular adenosine triphosphate level was restored to more than 50% of normal after 120 minutes of reperfusion following 120 minutes of ischemia, whereas that of control livers only reached 15% of normal. The RCR and the adenine nucleotide content of mitochondria isolated from FBP-treated livers were significantly higher than those of mitochondria from control livers after ischemia and reperfusion. FBP strongly suppressed the formation of lipid peroxides during reperfusion. In vitamin E-deficient rats, the RCR decreased markedly during reperfusion, but FBP protected the mitochondria against reperfusion injury. CONCLUSIONS: FBP has a protective effect against ischemia-reperfusion injury on the liver and especially preserves the oxidative phosphorylation capacity of hepatic mitochondria.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1995

HLA-A and -DRB4 genes in controlling the susceptibility to Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

HLA-linked genetic factors involved in the pathogenesis of HT were studied in 71 patients with HT by serologic typing for HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR, and -DQ specificities and by DNA typing for HLA-DRB1, -DRB3, -DRB4, -DRB5, -DQA1, -DQB1, AND -DPB1 genes using the PCR-SSOP method. Typing results demonstrated significant positive associations of HT with HLA-A2 and -DRB4*0101 (DR53) (p < 0.01, RR = 2.03, EF = 0.61 and p < 0.0001, RR = 4.48, EF = 0.69, respectively). Although HLA-DR8, -DRB1*0403, -DQA*03, and -DQB1*0303 were statistically more prevalent in the patient group than in the controls, these associations were presumably due to the strong linkage disequilibria of these alleles with HLA-A2 or -DRB4*0101 in the Japanese population. Ninety-seven percent of the patients (69 out of 71) were positive for HLA-A2 or -DRB4*0101 compared to 79% in controls (RR = 8.7, p < 0.0005). The combination of HLA-A2 and -DRB4*0101 showed higher OR of risk for HT (OR = 12.8) than HLA-A2 (OR = 7.3) or DRB4*0101 (OR = 7.5) alone. These observations suggest that at least two loci, HLA-A and HLA-DRB4 together, may control the susceptibility to HT. On the other hand, the frequency of DQA1*0102 was significantly decreased in the patient group, suggesting that DQA1*0102 might confer resistance to HT.

Genetic Predisposition to Disease↗